Refuse bag holder

ABSTRACT

A refuse bag holder comprising means for supporting a flexible, crushable refuse bag with the top edge open and means for cinching the bag beneath the open top thereof to effect a closure, the cinching means normally closing the container and operable to open the container preferably by means of a foot treadle.

United States Patent 4 Inventor Robert A. Kurlander 277 Hillside Ave., Nutley, NJ. 07110 Appl. No. 816,891

Filed Apr. 17, 1969 Patented July 27, I971 REFUSE BAG HOLDER 15 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 248/97, 232/432, 248/147 Int. 1365b 67/00 Field 01' Search 248/97, 98,

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,257 1 1942 Edwards 248/147 2,527,449 10 1950 Poole 248/101X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,150,669 5 1959 France 248/101 Primary ExaminerChancellor E. Harris Att0rneyPopper, Bain & Bobis ABSTRACT: A refuse bag holder comprising means for supporting a flexible, crushable refuse bag with the top edge open and means for cinching the bag beneath the open top thereof to effect a closure, the cinching means normally closing the container and operable to open the container preferably by means of a foot treadle.

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ROBERT A. KURLANDER ATTORNEYS REFUSE BAG HOLDER BACKGROUND OF INVENTION A wide variety of refuse bag holders are well known. Most such refuse bag holders are adapted to support a paper bag. Closure is effected by clamping or pressing opposed top edges of the bag together by means of parallel, pivotally opposed, spring-loaded frame members, generally as are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,976. 7

However, there is an increasingly greater demand for refuse bags which are absolutely water and moistureproof and which may be sealed against the escape of odors, particularly for receiving disposable diapers. Most commercially available impregnated paper bags are moisture resistant but not waterproof. It would be prohibitively costly to manufacture an impregnated paper bag that was absolutely waterproof. Nevertheless, plastic bags are both waterproof and very inexpensive, frequently less expensive than nonimpregnated paper bags. In addition, the plastic bag is so flexible that it readily accepts even most irregularly shaped articles. The plastic bag is, therefore, continuously self-contouring to the shape of the material disposed therein and thereby more efficiently uses the space which it occupies. As a result, the plastic bag is obviously the container of choice.

While refuse bag holders such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,760 function well with either impregnated or nonimpregnated paper bags, they do not function well with the thin plastic bag. The principal difficulty lies in the means to secure the plastic bag to the frame of the bag holder. Existing clamping means will not suffice since the top of the plastic bag is too thin to provide sufficient body for engagement with the clamping means. Thus, if the plastic bag is to be employed, the top thereof must be reinforced; otherwise the bag will tear or slip free of the frame. In addition, the top edge of the plastic bag is so thin, that the parallel opposed frames of the holder do not completely close the bag so as to be secure against the escape of odor. It is uneconomical to manufacture special plastic bags with reinforced top edges for use in the refuse bag holders contemplated.

The present invention comprises a refuse bag holder adapted to employ ordinary, thin-walled plastic bags without reinforced tops which will produce an absolutely complete closure against even the escape of odor.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A refuse bag holder comprising a frame, support means generally at the top of the frame to support arefuse bag in a generally vertically depending position with the top open, and releasable closure means beneath the support means for cinching the refuse bag generally radially inwardly to effect a closure thereof.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION The objects and advantages aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the refuse bag holder illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the refuse bag holder with a decorative cover applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the refuse bag holder frame without the cover illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the refuse bag holder frame without the cover applied thereto;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the refuse'bag holder frame without the cover applied thereto;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of the refuse bag holder frame without the cover illustrating the foot treadle in a depressed position showing the closure means opened to admit refuse to the bottom of the bag;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the refuse bag holder frame without the cover with the foot treadle in the resting or up position with the clinching means engaged to the bag closing the same; and

" and bag lifting mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the refuse bag holder comprises a self-standing frame 1 1 defined by a pair of generally erect U-shaped members 12,13 each having a pair of radially inwardly directed offsets 14,15 and 16,17 respectively. The frames 12,13 are joined together at the top by a circular refuse bag support 18 attached to the terminal ends of the respective offsets 14,15 and 16,17. While the refuse hag sup port 18 is shown and described as circular, it may take any convenient open configuration. The support 18 comprises a relatively thin, upstanding flange preferably, but not neces sarily, coated with some friction-generating material such as rubber or one of a wide variety of well-known plastics which tend to frictionally engage other plastics, usually employed in the fabrication of plastic refuse bags.

The frame 11 is provided with feet 19, 19, 19, 19 attached to and generally depending from the bottoms of the respective U-shaped members 12,13. The feet 19 space the bottom horizontal portions 20,21 of the U-shaped members 12,13 from the floor.

A pair of opposed, upwardly extending, cinching members 22,23 each are pivotally engaged to and across the bottom horizontal portions 20,21 of the respective U-shaped members 12,13 of the frame 11.

Cinching member 22 comprises a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel, upwardly extending rods 24,25 each pivotally engaged at its bottom respectively to both horizontal portions 20,21 of members 12,13 by means of pivot pins 26,27. The rods 24,25 extend upwardly to a position beneath the refuse bag support 18 to merge with integral, generally radially inwardly extending offsets 28,29. The offsets 28,29

merge at an apex 30.

Cinching member 22 is provided with lever legs 31,32 at the bottom of rods'24,25 respectively. The lever legs 31,32 extend from pivot points 26,27 to pivotally engage cinching member Cinching member 23 is similar in construction to cinching member 22 and comprises a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel, upwardly extending rods 33,34 pivotally engaged at their bottoms respectively to the bottom horizontal portions 20,21 of U-shaped frames 12,13 by means of pivot pins 35,36. The rods 33,34 extend upwardly to a position beneath the refuse bag support 18 to integral, generally radially inwardly extending offsets 37,38. The offsets 37,38 merge at an apex 39.

Cinching member 23 is provided with a pair of lever legs 40,41 at the bottom of rods 33,34. The lever legs 40,41 extend toward and past the ends of lever legs 31,32 respectively of cinching member 22. The respective lever legs 31,40 and 32,41 are slidably and pivotally engaged at slide links 42,43 respectively. Lever legs 40,41 extend beyond the slide links 42,43 and are joined by an integral crossmember 44 to define a foot treadle.

Springs 45,45 are engaged between rods 24,25 of cinching member 22 and opposed portions of U-shaped frame member 12. Springs 46,46, are engaged between rods 33,34 of cinching member 23 and opposed portions of U-shaped frame member 13. The springs 45,45 and 46,46 normally urge the respective apexes 30,39 of cinching members 22,23 toward each other when initially in overlapping relationship.

The apexes 30,39 are adapted to cinch the refuse bag 47 beneath its open top, which is secured to support 18, thereby trapping refuse 48 collected in the bottom thereof. The apexes 30,39 overlap when the cinching means are disengaged from the bag 47. The bag 47 therefore depends between the offsets 28,29 and 37,38 of the opposed cinching members 22,23. The apexes 30,39 are in an overlapping position. When the cinching members 22,23 are pivoted toward each other, the

passage defined by thesaid offsets and apexes opens to permit It is preferable that the apexes 30,39 be generally parallel to each other and horizontal. It is also preferable that the apexes 30,39, as they converge, define a circle of ever-decreasing radius until the apexes crush the bag 47 to effect a complete closure. Nevertheless, any cinching means of the character described will suffice even though the apexes portions are not absolutely parallel, and indeed may tend to cross. The particular configuration of the apexes should be determined by the crushing characteristics of the bag 47. Generally, the apexes will have a small radius.

The cinching members 22,23 are operated by means of the crossmember 44 which defines a foot treadle. When the foot treadle 44 is depressed, lever legs 40,41 depress, depressing the slide links 42,43. This in turn depresses lever legs 31,32 of cinching member 22. The slide links 42,43 comprise elongated slots through which a pin 49 extends. Thus, the slide links 42,43 permit not only pivotal movement of the lever legs of the respective cinching members, but also some translational movement with respect thereto and necessary because of the fact that no translational movement is permitted at pivot pins 26,27 and 35,36.

Depression of the foot treadle 44 causes the respective cinching members 22,23 to converge. However, since the apexes 30,39 normally overlap, the said apexes diverge, thereby increasing the opening for the bag 47. Conversely, release of the foot treadle 44 permits the cinching members 22,23 to diverge under the influence of springs 45,45 and 46,46. The apexes 30,39 however, converge to cinch the bag 47 therebetween to effect a closure.

Frequently, it is advantageous to relieve the weight of refuse collected in the bottom of the bag 47 during cinching so as to make the' cinching movement more efficient. Thus, a floor or bar may be provided at the bottom of the bag, which rises as the apexes 30,39 converge and falls as the apexes 30,39 diverge. Such a floor may be created by means of a rod 50 extending between and across the slide links 42,43. Obviously, a flat floor may be attached to the bar 50 if desired. Since the pivot pins 49 of the respective slide links 42,43 rise and fall with convergence and divergence of the cinching members 22,23, the pressure of the refuse in the bag 47 may be relieved upon closure.

In order to give the refuse bag holder a neat, compact appearance, a cover 51 may be provided which slides downwardly over the frame 11. The cover 51 comprises four rectangular walls 52,52, etc. and a top 53 having an opening 54 therein to conform to the bag support 18. ln addition, one of the walls 52 terminates short of the floor in order to produce an opening 55 for the foot treadle 44.

Positive stops 56,56 may be employed across the respective frame members 12,13 to limit the extent of divergent movement of the cinching members 22,23. The position and nature of the stops 56 is a matter of choice although the function thereof is of value.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention.

What I claim:

1. A refuse bag holder comprising a. a frame,

b. support means generally at the top of the frame engageable and disengageable with a refuse bag to support the same in a generally vertically depending position with the top of the bag open,

c. Movable closure means beneath the support means encirclable about the bag and defining a generally circumferentially constrictable passage through which the bag I depends, the closure means engageable with the bag upon constriction of the passage collapsing the baggcnerally a. the structure in accordance with claim I and b. a foot treadle operatively connected to closure means.

3. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 and b. means normally urging the closure means into cinching engagement with the bag.

4. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 inwhich b. the closure means are a pair of overlapping members each having an apex, the apexes movable toward and away from each other, the apexes defining an enlarging passage through which the bag depends when the apexes are moved away from each other and a narrowing passage as the apexes are moved toward each other, ultimately resulting in a cinching closure of the bag.

5. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 and b. vertically movable weight-relieving means beneath the bag, said weight-relieving means movable upwardly to engage the bottom of the bag as the closure means cinch the bag.

6. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 and b. a foot treadle operatively connected to the closure means.

7. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 6 and b. means normally urging the closure means into cinching engagement with the bag.

8. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 and b. vertically movable weight-relieving means beneath the bag, said weight-relieving means movable upwardly to engage the bottom of the bag as the closure means cinch the bag.

9. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 8 and b. means normally urging the closure means into cinching engagement with the bag, and the weight-relieving means into engagement with the bottom of the bag, and

c. a foot treadle operatively connected to the closure means to enlarge the passage, and operatively connected to the weight-relieving means to decrease the amount of weight relieved by the same.

10. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 9 and b. a cover on the frame, open at the top.

11. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the support means are an upstanding, relatively narrow flange defining an opening.

12. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 in which b. the support means are in upstanding, relatively narrow flange defining an opening.

13. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 and b. a pair of depending rods on each of the said overlapping members, the bottoms of the rods being pivotally engaged to the frame,

c. a foot treadle operatively connected to the rods to move the said apexes away from each other, and

d. means operatively connected to at least one of the rods normally urging the said apexes toward each other.

14. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 13, and

b. vertically movable weight-relieving means beneath the bag, said weight-relieving means movable upwardly to engage the bottom of the bag as the closure means cinch the bag.

15. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 14in which b. the foot treadle is operatively connected to the weight-relieving means to decrease the amount of weight relieved by the same. 

1. A refuse bag holder comprising a. a frame, b. support means generally at the top of the frame engageable and disengageable with a refuse bag to support the same in a generally vertically depending position with the top of the bag open, c. Movable closure means beneath the support means encirclable about the bag and defining a generally circumferentially constrictable passage through which the bag depends, the closure means engageable with the bag upon constriction of the passage collapsing the bag generally radially inwardly to present a substantially compressibly closed neck.
 2. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 and b. a foot treadle operatively connected to closure means.
 3. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 and b. means normally urging the closure means into cinching engagement with the bag.
 4. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the closure means are a pair of overlapping members each having an apex, the apexes movable toward and away from each other, the apexes defining an enlarging passage through which the bag depends when the apexes are moved away from each other and a narrowing passage as the apexes are moved toward each other, ultimately resulting in a cinching closure of the bag.
 5. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 and b. vertically movable weight-relieving means beneath the bag, said weight-relieving means movable upwardly to engage the bottom of the bag as the closure means cinch the bag.
 6. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 and b. a foot treadle operatively connected to the closure means.
 7. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 6 and b. means normally urging the closure means into cinching engagement with the bag.
 8. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 and b. vertically movable weight-relieving means beneath the bag, said weight-relieving means movable upwardly to engage the bottom of the bag as the closure means cinch the bag.
 9. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 8 and b. means normally urging the closure means into cinching engagement with the bag, and the weight-relieving means into engagement with the bottom of the bag, and c. a foot treadle operatively connected to the closure means to enlarge the passage, and operatively connected to the weight-relieving means to decrease the amount of weight relieved by the same.
 10. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 9 and b. a cover on the frame, open at the top.
 11. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the support means are an upstanding, relatively narrow flange defining an opening.
 12. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 in which b. the support means are in upstanding, relatively narrow flange defining an opening.
 13. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 4 and b. a pair of depending rods on each of the said overlapping members, the bottoms of the rods being pivotally engaged to the frame, c. a foot treadle operatively connected to the rods to move the said apexes away from each other, and d. means operatively connected to at least one of the rods normally urging the said apexes toward each other.
 14. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 13, and b. vertically movable weight-relieving means beneath the bag, said weight-relieving means movable upwardly to engage the bottom oF the bag as the closure means cinch the bag.
 15. A refuse bag holder comprising a. the structure in accordance with claim 14 in which b. the foot treadle is operatively connected to the weight-relieving means to decrease the amount of weight relieved by the same. 